Summer School: Stephen Jackson

[BigSlam]

We can create a thread for each player to discuss the things you would like to see the player work on over the summer and bring to the team next season. This isn't about their contract status or a bashing thread or love fest thread or a trade thread or a player comparison thread. Just a thread of improvement ideas.

Jax: Loved the fearless attitude and the "glue" you brought to the team.

There are two things I would really like to see Jax work on. The first is to calm the hell down!! Stop jawing at the refs and keep your head in the game and keep it simple. Also, if you are going to take 5 three point attempts per game, I want to see you hit more than 33% of them.

Tape of guys to study: Joe Johnson (for the calmness and for keeping it simple) and Manu Ginobili (only shoot 3's when the shot is there to take).

What would you guys say?

[Rich4114]

I like this idea, something to keep the convo going over this boring summer.

For Jax, when he plays well we are a huge force. My #1 problem with him has been his poor passing, especially in transition. We sucked in turnovers last year and he was a big part of that. I think he's got to take less risks with passes. For the amount of positive plays he makes off of them, he makes twice as many negative plays.

Next, I agree he needs to calm the hell down sometimes and also understand when his shot's not falling. Most of the time, when he takes it to the rim he can finish at a high rate. I'd like to see him pass up those 3's when he's in a slump and take it to the hoop before going back to the jumper. Or at least, take some shots closer to the rim on the post or something.

Overall, play with more cool and be smarter.

[Paydro70]

The only thing that made me crazy about SJax is the "LeBron 3." What I mean by that is when he sits on the line with the ball in his hands, defender right on him, but he shoots it anyway over him. LeBron gets away with this because his first step is so devastating that people are forced to leap backwards if he fakes it. SJax doesn't have that, he's just tall/long enough that he's unblockable. But not uncontestable, which is why he misses so many of them. It's really NEVER the best shot we can get, but he takes it anyway.

He is also a turnover machine, but so is everyone on the team in the current system, so it's hard for me to really pin it on him.

[fatlever]

id love to see jax work on a post game. he has the size to do it. he should be posting up sgs. he's 6'8". and he has all those crafty pump fakes that he could be a nightmare down there if he worked on it.

[BigSlam]

So who, past or present, should Jax study in order to try and improve his game?

[Rich4114]

I dunno if there is someone to study, he's a very unique type of player. Fats made a good point though, he should be a nightmare for most SG's in this league in the post. The opposing big man should have to come over and help eventually. We saw this like 2 times in the Orlando series and he hit T2 for open J's.

[Walt Cronkite]

So who, past or present, should Jax study in order to try and improve his game?

Magic?

[Felton for Pres]

So who, past or present, should Jax study in order to try and improve his game?

Magic?

I was thinking the same exact thing but for different reasons. I think he needs to understand ball movement and realize that just because you pass it, it doesn't mean it won't get back to you. Who better to watch than Magic.

[fatlever]

players for jax to study regarding playing in the post as a guard/swingman: magic, adrian dantley, mj (the 1997 and older version), mchale (you can never go wrong studying the king of post moves, even if you are a guard), bonzi wells (2000 trailblazer version), crash.

[Rich4114]

players for jax to study regarding playing in the post as a guard/swingman: magic, adrian dantley, mj (the 1997 and older version), mchale (you can never go wrong studying the king of post moves, even if you are a guard), bonzi wells (2000 trailblazer version), crash.

Bonzi Wells... he faded ever so quickly into the night

[Walt Cronkite]

Made one of the worst contract decisions of the modern era.

[fatlever]

wells... what a knucklehead. but man he had a great post game when he first came into the league.

another great posting guard was quentin richardson his first few years in LA. he as a monster down low. then he got soft and decided he only wanted to stand at the 3pt line and shoot jumpers. sad.

[Walt Cronkite]

:taps fists on temples:

What a weird celebration those young Clips did. I remember playing 2kwhatever in high school thinking the young Clippers with Lamar "The Goods" Odom, Miles, Q-Rich, Maggette, Dooling, McInnis and Brand were going to be awesome.

[Rich4114]

lol, you said McInnis and awesome in the same sentence.

[Walt Cronkite]

I know, isn't it unbelievable? Kids are stupid.

[BigSlam]

lol, you said McInnis and awesome in the same sentence.

Wonder if it would cause a riff between myself, Fats and Walt if I suspended a fellow board mod for combining two things that should never, ever be combined?

Walt is a "Sean Singletary reminds me of Allen Iverson" post away from having a little break from the world of RGM!

[fatlever]

:taps fists on temples:

What a weird celebration those young Clips did. I remember playing 2kwhatever in high school thinking the young Clippers with Lamar "The Goods" Odom, Miles, Q-Rich, Maggette, Dooling, McInnis and Brand were going to be awesome.

the first year i had league pass (2000-2001) i adopted that clipper team as my 2nd fav team behind the hornets. i bet i watched 50+ clipper games that year.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAC/2001.html

i was convinced at the time that darius miles could become a defensive nightmare. mcinnis was playing some great ball and was money from the ft line on his floaters and pull up jumpers. odom was doing his thing and q-rich was a promising rookie who could rebound and post up with the best of them. i never confused them for a potential great team, but they were fun to watch.

the next year i ditched the clippers and adopted the warriors as my new fav 2nd team. i bet i watched 130+ warrior games over the next 2 years, due to my admiration for a rookie name arenas.

[Walt Cronkite]

lol, you said McInnis and awesome in the same sentence.

Wonder if it would cause a riff between myself, Fats and Walt if I suspended a fellow board mod for combining two things that should never, ever be combined?

Walt is a "Sean Singletary reminds me of Allen Iverson" post away from having a little break from the world of RGM!

He was a pretty average player in the prime of his career. Kind of a jobless man's Raymond Felton.

[hotrod]

Nice article...

http://dimemag.com/2010/08/stephen-jack ... decisions/

[SWedd523]

Reading through that makes me question how Jack will handle LB (probably) leaving after next year. I see a lot of, "I listen to him because he's a HOF Coach". Any other guy who doesn't demand respect is going to have a tough time getting Jack to fall in line.